In the initial transition weeks, shell-shocked
businesses struggled with the sudden
lockdown measures mandated by the
Australian government. Business leaders
grappled with how to communicate a level
of reassurance to both staff and clients and
facilitate working from home. Our network
traffic data during this period reveals very
unusual spikes, with conference calls starting
early in the day and continuing strongly
through the day and into the evening, until
well past midnight. It is no surprise that our
network experienced an 88% growth in
traffic in March.
As we moved through April, it was clear
businesses found their stride based on
workers returning to a more ‘usual’ workday
– or their ‘new normal’ – which included
downtime during lunchtime and a drop off
on Friday afternoons. Yet we are all far more
connected than pre-COVID, with our network
traffic sitting at twice the ‘old normal’ levels.
“
IT IS CLEAR
THAT AT TIMES
OF STRESS AND
HARDSHIP,
PEOPLE NEED AND
WANT TO TALK
TO ANOTHER
PERSON.
Re-affirming the need for
‘ordinary’ connection
What has been striking as we have watched
this ‘new normal’ unfold, both in our
personal and professional lives, is how
COVID-19 has reminded us of the enduring
need for human connection.
This is best illustrated with the
unprecedented demand for voice calls,
together with connection via online
collaboration tools such as Zoom, Microsoft
Teams and MNF Group off-shoot, Express
Virtual Meetings. If anything, the pandemic
has crystallised the importance of highlyscalable
and reliable voice capabilities. It
is a timely reminder for businesses that
employees and customers alike still want
to talk and interact with ‘real’ human
voices and real people – as well as being
reassured by personal customer service
and engagement.
Despite the fact that the Federal
Government’s COVID-19 information
website had all the information that was
available, the information line received
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